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Hallmark movie star Trevor Donovan is climbing the leaderboard on Dancing with the Stars, but the actor is also winning over the hearts of many fans. When the competition started, Donovan had a fear of dancing. But over the last seven weeks, he has proven himself to be a worthy competitor in Dancing with the Stars Season 31. Now, many viewers can see him and Emma Slater taking home the Mirrorball Trophy — find out why. 

Alfonso Ribeiro speaks with Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater after their Halloween Night performance on 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 31
Alfonso Ribeiro, Trevor Donovan, and Emma Slater | ABC/Eric McCandless

Trevor Donovan and Emma Slater tie for first during Halloween Night 

Donovan and Slater performed an emotional contemporary to Justin Bieber’s “Ghost” during the Halloween Night episode of Dancing with the Stars. The judges awarded the couple a near-perfect score of 39, but that score changed after performing their team dance. 

Since he was at the bottom of the leaderboard last week, Donovan got to choose who he would perform a freestyle with as Team Scream. He chose Wayne Brady, Charli D’Amelio, and Daniel Durant. Their freestyle to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll” earned each competitor an additional 39 points, putting Donovan at the top of the leaderboard in first place and tied with D’Amelio and Mark Ballas. 

‘Dancing with the Stars’ fans love seeing Trevor Donovan tied for first in this season’s competition

Many fans are impressed by Donovan’s progress this season of Dancing with the Stars. “TREVOR the dark horse!” said one Reddit user. “We love seeing him tied for first!!”

“That dance really changed Trevor in my eyes,” said another Redditor. “I had no doubt he could dance but because of that contemporary, he’s in my top three now.” 

A newer fan of the show is also impressed by Donovan’s growth thus far. “I’d never watched DWTS [until] this season,” they commented. “[I] decided to check it out because I adore Wayne Brady. I didn’t know who Trevor was, but watching him trust in Emma and tackle his fear of dancing caught my heart.” 

Like many other fans, this Reddit user thought Brady was the clear winner initially. Now, they’ve changed their mind. “As crazy as it seems, I think I really want Trema to win that Mirrorball,” they concluded. Many others agree with this Redditor, citing Donovan’s growth and his deserving to take home the Mirrorball Trophy this season. 

Trevor Donovan is being compared to ‘DWTS’ Season 30 Champion Iman Shumpert 

NBA player Iman Shumpert took home the Mirrorball Trophy with his partner Daniella Karagach in season 30 of Dancing with the Stars. As the first basketball player to win DWTS, Shumpert made history. 

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Now, some viewers are comparing Donovan’s climb to the top to Shumpert’s past success. “I feel like he is like Iman, what the show is about at its core,” said one Reddit user

“Trevor has been climbing up my list lately,” another comment reads. “He is showing improvement and passion every week, much like Iman.” 

Will Donovan and Slater take home the Mirrorball at the end of season 31? Tune in to Dancing with the Stars live on Disney+ every Monday night to find out.